Writing a convincing speech can be fun yet very demanding. However ahead of writing your persuasive speech you have to choose your subject. Persuasive speech topics are usually more serious than other subjects. You have to think of something that has weight and where there’s more than one opinion on it.

Choosing the right topic isn’t as easy as it sounds. Whatever you choose greatly affects how your speech turns out. A wrong topic can actually backfire.

To prevent this from happening here are some tips on selecting great persuasive speech topics.

1) Watch the news.

It is very important to keep up with current events. Watching the news will give you an extensive range of topics to choose from. You will even get bonus points if you speak about something that is hot at the moment. So the next time you are eating dinner in front of the television why not switch to the news channel once in a while. Also when you’re online checking out Twitter’s trending topics can help you find the talk of the web.

2) Find your comfort zone.

When writing a persuasive speech choose a subject you feel comfortable with. After all, the words and the delivery of the speech is your duty. If you want to write about why vegetarianism is good for you but you eat lots of meat yourself you might miss out on some inportant aspects (and of course credibility).

3) Listen to other persuasive speeches.

One way you can find persuasive speech topics is to listen to other people trying to convince you of something. At the moment lots of people talk about gay marriage for example.

Once you’ve accomplished all three point you can write the persuasive speech that is best for you. Remember, whatever you choose will have a significant influence on your presentation. So, keep up with the news, find your comfort zone and get familiar with other pieces.

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So how did Obama connect with such a difficult audience? Read the text of his speech:

Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has had stood as a beacon of Islamic learning. And for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt’s advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress.

I’m grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I’m also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalamu-alaikum.

We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world, tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation but also conflict and religious wars.

More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims and a Cold War in which Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and western countries but also to human rights.

All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap and share common principles, principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there’s been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point.

But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, and to seek common ground.

As the Holy Quran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.

That is what I will try to do today, to speak the truth as best I can. Humbled by the task before us and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

Now, part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I’m a Christian. But my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk.

As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith. As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was Islam at places like Al-Azhar that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s renaissance and enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities…

It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra, our magnetic compass and tools of navigation, our mastery of pens and printing, our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires, timeless poetry and cherished music, elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.

I also know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second president, John Adams, wrote,

The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims. And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.

They have fought in our wars. They have served in our government. They have stood for civil rights. They have started businesses. They have taught at our universities. They’ve excelled in our sports arenas. They’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building and lit the Olympic torch. And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same holy Quran that one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library.

So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as…

Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire.

We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal. And we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words, within our borders and around the world.

We are shaped by every culture. Drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept, E pluribus unum: Out of many, one.

Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.

But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.

Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one’s religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That’s why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.

So let there be no doubt…

… let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.

Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.

For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.

When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.

Did you notice what Obama did there? He made a seamless transition from his personal experience of Islam to his general conviction on the partnership between Muslims and Americans. And he does the same thing again! He takes his “personal story” about his middle name Hussein and the fact that he was elected president nevertheless as an example for many millions of American-Muslims.

The president also couched his arguments in terms of the Koran, citing its lines to morally justify the US war in Afghanistan. His predecessor Bush often used the word “crusade” when talking about the aftermath of 9/11. For Muslims this word automatically evokes images of medieval Christian invasions. By adapting the speech to his audience Obama certainly used a strategy to make his listeners more receptive to what he had to say.

The speech in Cairo was an effort at diplomacy. This was reflected in the way Obama crafted his speech. He appearance of seeking to resolve conflicts was inherent in the text.

If you are reading this, you probably are not the president of the United States. However, you can benefit from his ability to persuade. When you have to make a persuasive speech remember to speak in terms your audience finds agreeable. Make every sentence bolster the points you are trying to make. Do not speak off-the-cuff and don’t ramble. When you tell a story, it should make your point. 

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• Full text of Obama’s speech in Cairo (msnbc.msn.com)
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• Video of President Barack Obama’s Speech To Muslims And Reaction (themoderatevoice.com)
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Technorati Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Cairo, How To Write A Speech, Islam, Middle East, Persuasive Speech, President of the United States, Qur'an, United States

For this article we will analyze a real example of a closing from a commencement speech given by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs:

“Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. ”

Jobs used and anecdote to make his final message clear. In this case Jobs wanted the message to be the takeaway. The whole speech was about being young and cusious and the conclusion was not out of left field. However, you do not have to put your most important points in the conclusion again. Better think about something original.

Don’t make these beginner’s mistakes:

1. Don’t leave the stage too fast after ending your speech.
2. Do not say “thank you” as this shows weakness.
3. Do not stop suddenly – for example. – “I have nothing more to say.”
4. Don’t bring in new ideas or stuff that you have forgottn in your conclusion.

Related articles

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Technorati Tags: Apple, How To Write A Speech, Persuasive Speech, Steve Jobs

Whatever your reason is for standing in front of an audience it is important to determine your goal. Let’s try this right now. What is your reason for wanting to know how to write a speech? Make a presentation for your boss? Are you taking a course in public speaking and this is your practice? Do you want to pursue public speaking as a career?

Several speakers will tell you that there are four reasons to deliver a speech: to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain. On the other hand most college texts on public speaking will only list three reasons. They file inspirational speaking as either informational or persuasive.

When giving informative speeches, you are teaching your audience something. Whatever your topic is, your main goal is to deliver a speech that is descriptive. It might be over something as touchy and delicate as bedwetting or as straightforward as how to tile a bathroom with ceramic tile. You don’t need to sell anything or convince anyone, you only want to inform. Most books recommend to limit your main points to five in an informative speech.

A persuasive speech on the other hand is being given to convince the audience of something. This may be with an idea, a theory or a product but whatever it is the speech’s purpose is for your audience to understand your point of view. Imagine yourself as a lawyer giving a closing statement for your client. Imagine yourself running for political office. Or imagine yourself as an insurance broker trying to sell life insurance. Or you are a motivational speaker trying to improve the lives of your listeners.

In a nutshell, a persuasive speech aims to sell something. As a persuasive speaker you want to convince your audience because you need their support.

A persuasive speech works best with two main points. The first point should be a problem that must be resolved. The second will be what you think is the answer to the problem.

Whatever your motivation is for a persuasive speech, it is important that you are convincing. Your success is determined by how effectively you can make your audience see things your way.

Thinking about your goals and objectives before you even think about how to write a speech will make you a much more successful public speaker.

If you’d like to write a persuasive speech now but can’t find a topic try the Persuasive Speakers Kit with 2000 speech topics, 12 Quick Research Checklists, 6 Time-Saving Speech Outline Templates and more to create a not-boring persuasive speech!

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Technorati Tags: How To Write A Speech, Informative Speeches, Persuasive Speech

It is really important to have a speech topic that you can get passionate about. This guarantees you’ll have more fun researching the speech and gathering material. As a consequence you can focus on the content of your speech rather than focusin on how nervous you are.

If you want to give a persuasive speech and your desired outcome is to change something in the ways your audience thinks and acts then you should construct your topic as a story. Decide what your main points are, what you need to get across to your audience, and then for each point pick one or two stories that illustrate those points. People are not persuaded by facts. People are persuaded by emotion. Stories can generate emotion and thus make your speech more persuasive.

If you are new to speech writing and desperately looking for an interesting speech topic you can present to a group then try asking yourself one of these questions:

• What is my audience interested in?
• What is the purpose of their group and what topics that I could use in my speech could relate to their purpose?
• What are the goals of my audience? Do they seek a business goal? Do they want to learn about something? Or be entertained?
• What are my goals for this speech? How can I relate my own goals to those of my audience?

Use your own imagination and thoughts to come up with great persuasive topics that you and your audience can relate to. When you have a great idea for a speech topic researching  and writing the speech will be easy.

Technorati Tags: How To Write A Speech, Persuasive Speech, Persuasive Topics

One of the three categories of speech writing is the persuasive speech. This kind of speech is used especially when you want to change your audience’s behaviour. The objective is to make people think differently or act in a certain way.

A persuasive speech is not a new concept. Greek philosopher Socrates described three components a speech should have to be effective:

• Ethos: refers to a speaker’s style of presentation.
• Pathos: aims at striking an emotional chord with the audience.
• Logos: appeals to the rational side of listeners and should include proofs and examples.

To give a successful persuasive speech each of these components should be considered.

To be effective you have to capture the attention of your audience this is done with ethos. It can be telling a joke, voice intonation or gestures. Use pathos to connect. Make people want to believe you by making them like you and see that you share goals and beliefs. Make them see how whatever it is you are proposing helps them or makes the world a better place. The most well written speech is a disaster unless it it appeals to audience interests. You can facilitate their interest the most by being passionate about your topic. Nothing disappoints an audience more than a speech that feels like it’s written by somebody else and that the speaker is merely quoting it from memory.

Finally, reel your audience in with inescapable logic. Make them see that what you are proposing not only makes them feel good, but is unavoidably true.

As an aside, speakers on the left of the political spectrum tend to emphasize pathos, while those on the right tend to emphasize logos. Ideally, a balance between the two will be effective with the widest possible audience. This does not mean that the speaker must change his or her convictions, but rather seek a balanced approach.

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• Persuasive Speech Outline – Depending on the type and aim of your persuasion, there are a number of ways you can structure your speech to ensure maximum effectiveness. The most basic and also the most common way to structure a persuasive speech, is to present a problem to your listener and then solve it by presenting a convincing solution. Ideally this should also be backed up with supporting evidence to make the solution seem more valid.
• Persuasive Techniques – People best remember the beginning and end of your speech. Use evidence to increase the persuasiveness of your message. Present a balanced argument and you will appear more trustworthy.
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Technorati Tags: How To Write A Speech, Persuasive Speech

To be a more effective presenter you sometimes have to take a step back. It’s all about your audience. They are the ones you are giving that speech to. Here are some easy to implemet points to make your presentation less about yourself and more about your audience.

• Know the audience: You need to understand their concerns, knowledge, bias and interest. Think about those factors and how you want to them in your speech. This will help you giving a more relevant presentation. Most important is your audience’s interest. It will help you determine how hard (or easy) it will be to motivate them or just keep them listening.
• Understand your goal: Think about what you want your audience to do – not about what you want to do. Examples: Your goal should not for you to get approval. It is for them to give you approval. Your goal should not be for you to sell them something – it should be for them wanting to buy something from you. This mindset is important when developing a speech. It will help you to make your presentation as powerful as possible.
• Learn to inform: It is vital to deliver a speech that informs the audience. Whatever the subject matter may be you need to be able to effectively inform your audience.
• Learn to educate: Closely tied to the subject of informing your audience is being able to educate your audience. Whereas informing is introducing the problem, status, or issue that you want to communicate educating is teaching them about what you have just introduced them to.
• Learn to persuade: Without a call to action, there is no need for a speech. Whatever the reason for the speech, learning how to inspire your audience is crucial.

If you follow these points and have a clear goal and a clear image of the gap between you and your audience you can develop a speech that will close the gap. Help your audience give you what you want from them!

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Technorati Tags: How To Write A Speech, Persuasive Speech